YONKERS, N.Y. ? Billy Ray Cyrus says he and his daughter, the ?Hannah Montana? actress Miley Cyrus, simply forgot to buckle up for one of their scenes in their new hit movie. ?We got caught up in the moment of filming, and we made a mistake and forgot to buckle our seat belts,? the country music star said Wednesday on People magazine?s Web site. ?Seat belt safety is extremely important.? Consumer Reports magazine had noticed that the Cyruses were not wearing seat belts as they rode in the back of a Range Rover during Disney?

In the newly released movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Emma Watson stands up in the back of a fast-moving pickup truck inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel. The scene is also repeated later, with Logan Lerman standing in the truck. Stephen Chbosky, writer and director of the movie, which was filmed in Pittsburgh, wrote that he hopes teenagers won't try to copy that stunt. It is illegal and dangerous. And the movie people used safety cables on the passengers. Pamela Kane, safety press officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 9, said kids have to be buckled up when riding in vehicles.

To some motorists, little else results in more nervousness than glancing in their rearview mirror and seeing red and blue flashing lights. And during Memorial Day weekend, motorists will be seeing more red and blue flashing lights as state police will be increasing patrols and holding checkpoints throughout Somerset County and the state, according to Cpl. William Link of the State Police's Somerset barracks. Trooper Jim Gregg said that police will be targeting drunken driving as well as educating the public about seat belt laws.

The cause of death was determined in a fatal traffic accident that occurred Friday afternoon in Middlecreek Township. Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller said David Rogers, 27, White, died from a lacerated aorta. Rogers was a passenger in the car driven by Charles Burnsworth, 43, Rockwood. Burnsworth was flown to Memorial Medical Center, Johnstown, after his car struck a tree and utility pole on state Route 653. He was released from the hospital Saturday after being listed in fair condition.

A two-vehicle traffic collision at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday along Route 281 in Somerset Township involved minor injuries, according to a state police report. Police said Dale Baumgardner of Somerset was attempting to turn from his driveway onto Route 281 and pulled directly in front of Joshua Smail of Kantner, Pa., who was driving southbound. Smail's vehicle front hit Baumgardner's front tire and fender. Baumgardner was not hurt and Smail received minor injuries, police added. Both drivers were wearing seat belts and no cell phones were present.

To the editor: Now that Harrisburg has come to their senses about motorcycle helmets, lets get the senses right on seat belts. It is my car I bought and paid for it and this is a free country. If I want to use seatbelts or not that is my right. It is the same logic that gave bikers the right to omit helmets. If helmets and seatbelts save lives how come people get killed even though they are using them? That is a poor excuse. Also, sometimes they are the cause of people getting killed.

Efforts by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to crack down on impaired and aggressive driving are paying off in Pennsylvania. State Transportation Department officials announced a significant drop in fatal crashes on state roads in 2009. The 1,256 fatalities recorded represent the lowest number since PennDOT started keeping records in 1928. It is a 14 percent decrease from 2008. There were 116 fewer deaths in 2009 than in the previous year. PennDOT statistics show a significant decrease in deaths from people not wearing seat-belts, those that were alcohol-related and those caused by aggressive drivers.

Nearly 100 motorists were told whether or not they were driving safely Monday as the state police held a surprise traffic safety check point in Jenner Township. Eight troopers stopped 91 vehicles between noon and 12:45 p.m. along Route 601 between Ferrellton and Boswell. "We have regular check points each month on areas with moderate traffic volumes," said Cpl. William Link who coordinated the event. Officers were checking licenses, registration, and seat belt use. Troopers also gave quick vehicle inspections and made sure no one was driving under the influence of alcohol.

NEW PARIS, Pa. (AP) ? State police and Department of Transportation officials are studying an intersection where three teens were killed when their vehicle collided with a sport-utility vehicle in southwestern Pennsylvania. State police say 17-year-old Steven Mowery, and his two passengers, 15-year-old Brandi Strom and 18-year-old Roger McGarry, were killed in the crash in Napier Township, Bedford County, about 8 p.m. Monday. Police say none of the teens were wearing seat belts.

In the newly released movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Emma Watson stands up in the back of a fast-moving pickup truck inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel. The scene is also repeated later, with Logan Lerman standing in the truck. Stephen Chbosky, writer and director of the movie, which was filmed in Pittsburgh, wrote that he hopes teenagers won't try to copy that stunt. It is illegal and dangerous. And the movie people used safety cables on the passengers. Pamela Kane, safety press officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 9, said kids have to be buckled up when riding in vehicles.

A Somerset man was in stable condition Tuesday night at a local hospital following a one-vehicle accident that claimed the life of another man. Casey Miller, 22, and Kody Dwire, 22, both of Somerset, were traveling on Chickentown Road about a half-mile west of Somerset Borough at 12:44 a.m. Monday when their car, owned by Miller, left the roadway. It began to overturn before striking a large oak tree along the roadway, state police said. Both men were ejected from the vehicle and were transported to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown for treatment of extensive injuries, police said.

Somerset County has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest average blood-alcohol concentration for people arrested in Pennsylvania. Somerset County's average rate is 0.22 percent, almost three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Forty percent of those arrests were because of crashes. An additional 6.2 percent of those DUI arrests were people who were driving under the influence of drugs, not alcohol. Since there are not many police departments with full-time police officers, many of those dangerous drivers aren't discovered until after an accident occurs.

QUEMAHONING TOWNSHIP — Six children, a driver and an aide escaped serious injury Wednesday afternoon when their Head Start bus was struck by a car on Route 30 near Stoystown. The bus driver was attempting to turn left onto Second Street, the access road to Stonebridge Gardens Trailer Court, according to state police. In doing so, the bus pulled in front of a vehicle driven by Alice D. Hershberger, 62, Somerset, who was driving in the eastbound lane on Route 30, police said. “There were some bumps and bruises, but nobody from the bus went to the hospital that we know of,” Stoystown fire Chief Dave Johnson said at the scene in Quemahoning Township.

Two teenage girls were taken to the hospital after a single-vehicle accident at 4:36 p.m. Tuesday. State police did not release the name of the driver or the passenger but said that the driver was traveling on Brotherton Road when she lost control. Her car rolled four times, traveling more than 300 feet. The vehicle came to rest on the opposite side of the road. The driver had to be cut from the vehicle. Both teens were wearing seat belts. Berlin Area Ambulance transported the girls to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Johnstown.

It seemed like a good idea; take the three oldest grandkids, 7, 5 and 4, to see the Broadway Musical, Shrek. I still have that “I was a teacher in the city schools and can virtually deal with almost anything” mind-set. Problem here was that the idea was a little late, and by the time I had gotten everyone’s buy-in and got online to get the tickets, thousands of others had gone there before me. As I attempted to purchase the tickets, it...

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper John Matchik presented a “Survival 101” program to all Shade-Central City High School students on Friday. The program highlighted the potential dangers students can encounter behind the wheel of a vehicle. “I’m here to show you the harsh reality of what’s happening on the roadways,” Matchik told approximately 270 students. “Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teens.” Matchik, who has been a trooper for eight years, shared personal stories with the students and said that the hardest part of a law enforcement job involves having to give a child’s death notice to his or her family.

My daughter looks like her dad and his side of the family. It has been that way since the day she was born. Blond hair and blue eyes, just like her dad. The blond hair and blue eyes runs on my side, too, but she is just the spitting image of her daddy. If I didn’t feel her kick boxing my insides for the better part of a year, I would question who the baby momma is. The only traits of mine she has exhibited thus far is her stubbornness, competitive...

By CHRISTINE SCHIRATO My daughter looks like her dad and his side of the family. It has been that way since the day she was born. Blond hair and blue eyes, just like her dad. The blond hair and blue eyes runs on my side, too, but she is just the spitting image of her daddy. If I didn’t feel her kick boxing my insides for the better part of a year, I would question who the baby momma is. The only traits of mine she has exhibited thus far is her stubbornness, competitive spirit and smart mouth, which may or may not bode her well.

Authorities believe the driver of a minivan panicked when a tire blew, putting in motion events that led to a triple-fatal crash Sunday afternoon along Route 30. Shade Township Police Chief Tom Holland said he conferred with other law enforcement officials who believe driver Holly Allison, 28, of New Derry began to accelerate instead of applying the brakes when a bald tire blew shortly before 2 p.m. The van struck a utility pole, causing the...